Foolhardy
by Griddlebone
Summary: One way or another, Sango is determined to convince Kikyou to spare Kohaku's life. A story told in small pieces.
1. Ambition

_She is made of clay and graveyard soil and hatred. She does not care what happens to your brother._

Sango rolled onto her back to stare at darkened tree branches and mulled over the possibilities. It was true that Kikyou, or what was left of Kikyou, was nothing more than clay and soil, enchanted with the soul of a long-dead miko. And it was true that she had been brought into the world exactly as she had died: filled with hate. And yet...

And yet. Sango's thoughts kept coming back to the revenant miko.

Kikyou sought, at any cost, to rid the world of Naraku and the Shikon no Tama. Kohaku carried one of the last shards of the jewel embedded in his back. Surely Kikyou would find that shard worth freeing from Naraku's control.

She felt a pang of wild fear. The easiest way to do that would be to simply remove it from Kohaku's body, to purify the shard and let the boy die.

_I could try to convince her that Kohaku is more useful to her alive than dead._

A sister's love weighed against the usefulness of a purified jewel shard.

Kikyou could simply kill her for interfering. But Sango did not think she would. Kikyou was too shrewd, too calculating to throw away a Taijiya ally. There was more to Kikyou, even this incomplete Kikyou, than anyone had fully realized.

_Do I dare try to use her for my own ends?_

Sango's breath caught in her throat as the ambitious thought slipped free. It was audacious. It was foolhardy. Even Naraku had failed in this.

For her own sake, she would never make the attempt, could never hope to pull it off. But for _Kohaku_...

For Kohaku she would do anything.

* * *

><p>Written for the JulyAugust prompt at the LiveJournal community fanfic_bakeoff: Foolish.


	2. Indecision

The night was deep and dark, cool and deceptively calm after a frantic day spent chasing specters of Naraku. Stars twinkled above and a fire burned almost merrily at the center of the campsite. Soul catchers drifted in the sky; Kikyou was near.

Scenting the air, Inuyasha got up and went silently into the forest. Kagome watched him go, eyes dark and filled with hurt. But she did not voice a word of complaint. She knew as well as her friends that they needed any advantage they could get, and Kikyou would be most cooperative with Inuyasha.

Sango watched too, letting her gaze flick to Kagome from time to time, schooling her expression to the expected sympathy. But her mind was not on Kagome's troubles. She yearned to follow Inuyasha, to seize her chance to talk to Kikyou. _I must -_

She must what? Plead for her brother's life? See if a sister's tears could sway that heartless husk?

So she did not move to follow, but remained beside Kagome and Miroku, who thankfully seemed inclined to keep emotional outbursts and ill-conceived romantic overtures to themselves tonight. It grated to sit here, when she knew she should have been there, doing her best to save her brother, and yet she felt rooted to the ground.

She caught Miroku and Kagome looking her way a couple of times. They were both extremely perceptive people; maybe they sensed her agitation, or perhaps they were simply grateful for her quiet emotional support. She did not know. She did not dare ask, because if they thought her a loyal and caring friend, they were wrong.

It was not loyalty to their cause that kept her here. It was foolishness, another chance thrown away in cowardly indecision.

_I must be stronger next time._

* * *

><p>Written for the JulyAugust prompt at the LiveJournal community fanfic_bakeoff: Foolish.


	3. Ill Omened

Luck was a tricky thing, Sango thought as she picked her way through the darkened forest. Ill luck had seen her friends injured in battle, but their bad luck had worked in her favor. It meant that she was the one who had spied the soul catchers in the air. And she was the one they had sent to speak with Kikyou.

This was exactly what she had been hoping for. She need only have faith and courage. And a bit of luck.

Even with the moon shining overhead, the forest was eerie. Sango followed a lone soul catcher through the trees. Beginning to wonder if she was only chasing ghosts, she came at last to a small, stream-fed pool.

Kikyou was there. She stood ankle-deep in the water, fairly glowing in the moonlight. The soul catchers were feeding her, bringing her the lost souls of unfortunate women so that she might live a while longer.

It horrified Sango, but she knew she had to persevere. Her friends needed to know what news Kikyou brought. And, more importantly, Kikyou was Kohaku's best chance for survival. If Sango did not plead his case to the priestess, it might be too late.

"Why have you come?" Kikyou asked, finally deigning to notice Sango's presence.

"Inuyasha is badly injured," Sango explained. "I came in his place. I need to know if -"

But Kikyou was not fooled. She fixed Sango in her gaze. Feeling almost electrified, Sango could not seem to tear her eyes away from Kikyou's.

"You are here on behalf of your brother."

"Yes." Sango saw no point in denying it.

Kikyou was unflinching. "I cannot save the boy."

"But -"

"No."

Sango's heart sank and her temper flared, but Kikyou was gone before she could protest again.

* * *

><p>Written for the March prompt at the LiveJournal community fanfic_bakeoff: Lucky.<p> 


	4. Empty Words

Sango had a lot to think about as she made her way back to camp. Although she had not expected immediate success, Kikyou's response to her predicament greatly displeased her. If Kikyou would not save Kohaku, then Sango would have to find a way to do it herself, and that would be no easy task. She lacked the spiritual power to purify Kohaku's jewel shard, and even if she could somehow remove the taint, that shard would always be a target.

She had been so sure that Kikyou would have an answer that now she had no idea what to do next. The more she mulled it over, however, the more she became convinced that she really only had two options. She could kill Naraku, and hope that would break the spell that bound Kohaku, or she could approach Kikyou again. Persistence might serve her well, but with Kikyou it might just be a waste of time.

The worst part was not knowing which path to take when she knew time was of the essence.

But as she approached the campfire's glow, Sango was careful to hide all of this. Kagome did not need to be burdened with this.

The other girl was hopeful when Sango sat down in the empty spot near the fire. "Any luck?" she asked.

Sango shook her head. "She wouldn't speak with me," she explained, taking a quick look around. Inuyasha and Miroku both appeared to be sleeping. "How is he?" Sango asked, nodding slightly toward Inuyasha.

"The bleeding has stopped," Kagome told her, jumping at the distraction. "The fever's going down, and I think the wound is finally starting to close."

It was good news. Yet when Sango said as much, her words sounded as hollow as they felt.


	5. Determination

Sango wallowed in her failure to gain Kikyou's help for Kohaku. Without a miko to purify the jewel shard he possessed, she was not sure how to proceed, and it seemed that for each moment she hesitated Kohaku took another step toward certain death.

The more she thought about it, the sharper her determination grew within her. She had tried once and failed. It was too much to expect to succeed on the first try, she knew that from long experience. And, knowing that, she also knew she could not give up so easily. She had to try again.

She would have to be the patient hunter, ready and waiting to seize whatever chance next presented itself. One way or another, no matter how long it took, she would convince Kikyou to help her brother. If only that didn't seem so daunting...

It was not long before Miroku picked up on her dark mood, and it was not long before he ended up walking beside her. She did not mind; she liked his company, despite his wandering hands.

He made a cheerful observation about the day's good weather, and that was all it took to make her want to tell him everything. He would understand her feelings, she thought... but he would also want to help her. He would try to get involved.

She couldn't let that happen.

She glanced at him and felt the same sort of fierce protectiveness rise up inside her that she felt whenever she thought of her brother. She needed him - _them_ - to live. If she were to somehow lose Kohaku _and_ Miroku, she was not sure how she would carry on.

She could not allow it to come to that, she knew, and wondered when she would next see Kikyou.


End file.
